Second suspect questioned again in Savile probe

By the CNN Wire Staff

Updated 11:02 AM ET, Fri November 2, 2012

Photos: The life of Jimmy Savile15 photos

The life of Jimmy Savile – British radio disc jockey, television star and charity fund-raiser Sir Jimmy Savile poses for a photo at Buckingham Palace, London, after receiving the Order of the British Empire in 1972. Since his death a year ago at age 84, Savile has been knocked off his perch as a national treasure, accused of being a predatory pedophile who used his fame and position to abuse youngsters, sometimes on BBC premises.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Dancers on the BBC TV show "Top of the Pops" adjust Savile's track suit top for him during the making of the show in 1973.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile poses with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children fund-raising presentation in 1980.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile pours a cup of tea.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile calls from the Wren House International Telephone Exchange in London in 1975 as part of a "Fun And Happiness Weekend," organized by the National Association of Youth Clubs.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile arrives in London in 1972 on his way to Buckingham Palace, where he is to be awarded the Order of the British Empire.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – The first presenter of long-running music program "Top of the Pops," Savile poses by a portrait of himself in February 1965, while enjoying his regular breakfast of Coke and a cigar in a central London hotel room.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile and his mother pose outside Buckingham Palace in London, where he receive his Order of the British Empire in 1972.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile shows off his Order of the British Empire to members of the "Second Generation" song and dance troupe.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile stands on the sidewalk with his motor home.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile holds a newly-printed "Lucky Jim" poster. The posters feature a portrait of the DJ, along with a text reading: "The Lucky Jim poster can bring you health, wealth, happiness. This is a genuine duplicate signature and what's more Jimmy has actually touched YOUR poster!"

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The life of Jimmy Savile – British Secretary of State for Social Services Norman Fowler presents Savile with a check for half a million pounds in 1982 as the government's contribution to an appeal for a new spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Savile waves with Jersey Holiday Queen Gaynor Lacey at the Jersey Battle of Flowers carnival in 1972.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – Days before his 80th birthday in 2006, Savile prepares for the Great North Run in Newcastle, northern England.

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The life of Jimmy Savile – The funeral cortege of Savile arrives at Leeds Cathedral for a funeral service on November 9, 2011, in Leeds, England.

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Story highlights

The second suspect, named by British media as comedian Freddie Starr, is quizzed again

The suspect is in his 60s and from Warwickshire, British police say

Starr denied any allegations against him in media interviews last month

A suspect named by British media as entertainer Freddie Starr faced further questioning from police Friday in connection with an investigation into sex abuse claims involving late BBC TV host Jimmy Savile.

Starr, a well-known comedian in the United Kingdom, was arrested on suspicion of sexual offenses Thursday, British media reports say.

Police did not release the suspect's name, identifying him only as "Yewtree 2," but said he falls under the "Savile and others" strand of their investigation, dubbed Operation Yewtree.

He was released on bail early Friday but returned to face further questions in the afternoon.

In media interviews last month, Starr denied the allegations against him, which were made in a TV report.

A TV documentary a month ago detailed allegations of sexual abuse against Savile, who died last year. Police investigating the scandal are dealing with about 300 apparent victims, Cmdr. Peter Spindler told reporters.

Savile's targets were apparently mostly girls in their mid-teens in what Spindler said was "alleged abuse on an unprecedented scale."

The British TV icon died in October 2011 at age 84. But authorities have said they are preparing an arrest strategy for others, still living, against whom allegations have been made in connection with the Savile case.

Countless Britons who grew up watching Savile on TV's "Top of the Pops" and his children's program "Jim'll Fix It" have been left reeling by the slew of claims against him in the past month.

The reputation of the British Broadcasting Corporation, his former employer, has also been tainted by the scandal amid questions about how his abuse went undetected, and its decision to drop a program investigating allegations against him last year.

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"Now the BBC risks squandering public trust because one of its stars over three decades was apparently a sexual criminal; because he used his programme and popularity as a cover for his wickedness; because he used BBC premises for some of his attacks," BBC Chairman Lord Patten wrote in an editorial published Sunday in the Daily Mail.

The BBC has said it is horrified by the revelations and has launched two independent inquiries.

NatWest Bank confirmed this week that the distribution of Savile's estate, most of which he is reported to have left to a charitable trust, "has been put on hold."

It has been suggested the money could be used to pay compensation to some of his alleged victims if they file legal claims.

Last Saturday, Savile's family made its first public statement since the claims of sexual abuse of underage girls destroyed the reputation of a man they had regarded as a hero.

Savile's nephew, Roger Foster, had defended his late uncle -- who hosted shows watched and heard by a generation of young Britons -- in a newspaper interview before the allegations first emerged in the TV documentary a month ago.

But as those few claims snowballed into hundreds, the family had to face up to the horrific truth: that the man they were so proud of as a media star and tireless charity fundraiser had a far darker side to his past.

"I watched the program in horror and could not believe that these allegations were about our uncle. This wasn't the man we knew and loved," Foster said. "We began to have doubts as to our own feeling towards our uncle. How could the person we thought we knew and loved do such a thing?

"Why would a man who raised so much money for charity, who gave so much of his own time and energy for others risk it all doing indecent criminal acts? How could anyone live their life doing the 'most good and most evil' at the same time?"